I am so sorry it's taken so long, guys. But anyway, here we go, the next chapter. (I highly suggest listening to Uprising, by Muse, on repeat for this chapter. Start it at "They assembled".) As always, enjoy!

The gods should have been in a frenzy. But they didn't know what to think. Hermes suddenly disappeared, they didn't know how or why, but it froze them in a state of baffled panic. It was all they could do to stare at each other in confusion, none wanting or able to break the tense silence. They didn't have to.

"No!" Lucy bolted upright, her eyes flying open. No god expected this, and they all took a shocked step back. Ares reacted first, leaping forward to restrain the girl against the bed. Her wide eyes flitted between him and the other gods. "Wha-what's going on?"

Zeus stepped forward, the next to recover. "Lucy Harrison, you are a suspected traitor of the gods and—"

"Wait!" Lucy interrupted. Zeus paused, looking disgruntled, before continuing.

"You will be detained until further ques—"

"No, please, you have to listen to me!"

Zeus clenched his jaw, frustrated at the disruptions. "Why?"

"Because Hermes is in trouble!"

Everyone else held their breath, but Zeus scowled. "Yes, we know, mortal, because of you!"

Lucy, who'd been about to protest, faltered. "You-you're right," she admitted, glancing down. She looked up suddenly, meeting his eyes. "But he's in trouble now, big trouble, and you need to help him! Whether it's my fault or not!"

Artemis stepped forward. "Where is he, Lucy, do you know?"

"He's…" She hesitated. "He's with Morpheus. Morpheus trapped him."

Zeus frowned. "What do you mean? Why would Morpheus trap him?"

"He's working for Hypnos." It was hard for Lucy to discuss this as calmly as she was; her heart was beating frantically, her mind racing. She just wanted him safe. "Hypnos wants to take over the world."

Zeus groaned. "How many people are going to try to take over the world?"

"No, it's just him. Well, him and other gods," Lucy corrected herself. "He said he tricked you somehow to keep your suspicion off him. But he's doing it now. That's where Hermes is. Please," she tried again, "please save him!"

Zeus gestured to Athena. She came to him quickly. "What should we do?" he asked the goddess of war strategy.

"The first thing we should do is set up defenses. If he's trying to take over the world, he will attack Olympus, and we need to be ready." She looked at Lucy. "Does Hypnos know you're here?" When Lucy shook her head, Athena turned back to Zeus. "Then we have an advantage; he won't plan for us knowing. We might be able to head it off, tone it down, but I don't think at this point that we'll be able to avoid an outright war."

"Right." Zeus nodded. "Come, let's start to prepare. We'll need to have a strategy, know where to place each god."

"We need to know who is on our side and who is on his," Athena reminded him.

"Go to Hestia," Hera said to them. Zeus turned around to look at his wife. "Hestia will know."

He inclined his head and left. Hera focused her gaze on Lucy. "So, tell us more about this. Where exactly are they?"

"I-I don't know where they are, geographically. They're in some cave, but I'm not sure where it is."

"Who's there?"

"When I first was…taken," she shuddered, "it was just Morpheus. Then Hypnos showed up…" she shuddered again, "and then he left again. He did that a few times. Then Hermes showed up, and he convinced Morpheus to let me go, and now I think it's just Hermes and Morpheus, who's guarding him."

Hera glanced at the Huntress. "Artemis, can you…?"

The blonde concentrated, then shook her head. "Can't feel them. They're probably still masked like Lucy was. Only Hermes can break that."

Hera sighed. "So there's really no way to get to him."

Lucy let out a whimper, and Artemis moved forward. "Ares, let go of her."

The god obeyed, dropping her arms and stepping back. Artemis perched on the side of the bed. "Lucy, you know him. He can take care of himself."

Tears trembled on the girl's eyelashes. "But he's given up," she whispered.

Artemis frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He gave up. I could see it. He gave up fighting so I would be set free." She frowned, but her lips turned downward as she tried to suppress the tears. "Why would he do that? He's the one they're most afraid of."

"What?" Hera asked sharply.

Lucy's head jerked up. "I'm sorry?"

"What did you say? About the one they're afraid of?"

"H-Hermes. They said that…" She frowned, thinking. "That he was the one who would be most likely to throw a wrench in their plans."

Artemis sat up straight, turning around to share a glance with Hera. The queen looked at Ares.

"Go tell your father that."

He nodded and disappeared. Lucy stared at the space the god had previously occupied. "Why?"

"If they're that worried about Hermes, that could tell us a great deal about what exactly they're planning. An out-and-out attack would have necessitated more concern for Ares or Athena, but if it's Hermes, the deception may have gone deeper than we feared. For them to be most worried about Hermes, their offense is going to be extremely subtle."

"Oh." Lucy felt stupid.

Ares materialized. "We need all of you." He flashed out again, and the other gods disappeared as well, until only Hera, Artemis, and Lucy were in the room. Hera looked at the girl on the bed.

"Thank you, Lucy." She disappeared, leaving the girl staring incredulously after her.

"What did…" She trailed off, glancing at Artemis. The goddess was watching the hallway, her posture tense. "You have to go," Lucy said reluctantly.

Artemis nodded. "But, Lucy, you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"Stay in this room. This war will be dangerous, even for us, and especially for you. Stay here, where it's safe. We will keep the war from the palace. Just stay here."

Lucy nodded, swallowing heavily. "I promise." Her voice came out as a whisper.

"Good." Artemis stood. "Thank you." And with that, she vanished, leaving Lucy alone, staring at the spot where she had stood. Lucy pulled the blankets closer around her, huddling up in the large bed. All alone. She shivered.

They assembled in the Great Hall. The light filtering in was not a warm golden, but the crisp, stark air of fall morning. It was the air that announced the coming of something ominous, something dangerous. And the atmosphere reflected that. The gods were solemn, quiet as they entered the hall and gathered around Zeus and Athena.

"My family, I must inform you of an attack on Olympus. This attack does not come from mortals or the Titans, but part of our family. Your brothers and sisters willingly and purposely march against us. I understand if you do not wish to fight them. That is your choice. However, they threaten our way of life, something that has let us prosper for millennia. I will defend our safety until my last breath. My family, will you join me? Will you defend Olympus?" Zeus' words thundered, and the roars of the gods reverberated against the marble walls of the Great Hall. They raised their arms, weapons appearing in some, pure energy coursing through others. They would fight. There would be no easy surrender, not from them.

And in another place, very far away from the light of Olympus, a very different set of gods assembled. These gods, too, were grim. But they had a certain fire that the others didn't, a fire sparked by injustice and kindled by the words of a great speaker. Hypnos smiled at each god and spread his arms wide.

"My friends, I am so glad you could join me, for today is a momentous occasion. Today, we fight back against our oppressors. We have lived too long under the guise of their kindness, when in actuality they stifled our power, trying to keep us from rising against them. They are scared of us, and they should be. We have the strength to overpower them. We have the skill to outsmart them. And, most importantly, we have the will to defeat them. We have lived in their shadows for too long. It is our turn to reign. So, my friends, I ask you, will you join me? Will you help me defeat them?"

The answering shouts were deafening. They were the ones who'd gone without glory. They were the ones who'd watched from the shadows as the Olympians received prayer after prayer, lavish gift after lavish gift until their extravagant temples overflowed with them. They were the ones without priests and priestesses, the ones who tended their own meager shrines. Their resentment had built up over the centuries. All it took was one god, one brave immortal to gather them together. And now, they would march on Olympus. There would be a war, no doubt about it. And they would do everything in their power to ensure it was one the Earth would not soon forget.

The morning was clear, the light from the Sun pure and unfiltered as the gods stood on the steps of the palace. Armor adorned them, made especially for this war by Hephaestus. They held their weapons, staring out over Olympus. There was no movement among the ranks. They were the Olympian gods. They waited for the war to come to them.

And then, there was movement on the horizon. The gods tensed.

Hypnos stood at the front of the moving army, marching proudly, a challenging smile playing around his lips. As stoic as the Olympians were, the rebels were passionate, murmured words of revolution running through the crowd. This was it. There was no turning back now. It was time.

They stopped mere meters from the palace. There was tense silence, both sides staring at each other. Gods stared at those who they once called friends, glaring at them from opposite sides of the battlefield.

Zeus stepped forward and Hypnos mirrored his movements. They watched each other.

"I understand you have a disagreement with us," Zeus said evenly. Hypnos nodded.

"It would seem that we both understand."

"Very well."

Zeus inclined his head, reached for his thunderbolt, and threw it just as Hypnos flew upward in a cloud of black smoke. And the war began.

Gods ran in every direction, some spiraled into the air, some crashed into trees and buildings.

Artemis streaked through the air, facing backwards and shooting arrow after arrow at Achelois, who in turn threw bright stars at the Huntress. One struck Artemis, and she fell a distance before recovering and flashing away. "Not so tough now, Huntress," the goddess sneered, following quickly. She caught up to Artemis and grabbed her arms, yanking them behind her back. Artemis gave a pained yelp, struggling in vain. "Who's the Huntress now?" Achelois whispered in her ear.

Ares circled Enyalius. "You think you're some kind of war god?" he spit. "Somehow I doubt that." He shifted his sword. Enyalius glared at the god. "Then let me demonstrate." He dove forward and swords clashed. Ares bent over backwards at one blow. "Ah, so you do have some fight in you." He gave a tremendous thrust and the minor god flew back. "Not enough, though!" He lunged at the fallen god and stabbed him. "Not enough."

Demeter battled three Anthousai, tying them up in vines until they broke through. Ivy began creeping up Demeter's calf and she broke it off, sending it shooting back at the nymphs. They giggled, dodging the vines easily and layering flower after flower on the harvest goddess. "Many will overpower the one," they trilled gleefully.

Poseidon swept through the lake in a tidal wave, drenching Aegaeon before he could drown Amphitrite. The goddess fled, leaving her husband to turn Aegaeon's whirlpool back on its creator. "You do not attack my wife," he growled, launching a typhoon.

Hades raised his eyebrows. "Really, Nyx, really?" She glowered at him. "Really, Hades. Is it such a surprise?" He shrugged. "Not really, I suppose. I only wish your leader hadn't used my name as a cover up." He sighed, lunging forward, his dark energy clashing against hers. "It was terribly inconvenient." She laughed harshly. "Only for you, Hades." Her energy surged and knocked him off his feet. "It was terribly convenient for us," she added, moving forward, her energy enveloping them both.

Athena glared up at Enyo. "Think you're so high and mighty all of a sudden?" she asked before rolling left. "I'll tell you when I defeat you," the other smirked, picking herself up from the ground. Athena brandished her sword. "I don't think that will work, I can't visit Tartarus." Enyo snarled and leapt at the war goddess. Athena sliced the other's arm, spilling golden blood. "Aw, see, now look what you made me do," she said sadly. Then she shoved her sword forward. "That's a pity." She smirked at the wounded goddess. "Bye now." As the other vanished, Athena spun around, looking for others.

Aphrodite smiled at Nereus, who stood by the side of the pool. He laughed at her. "Charming me isn't going to work, goddess." She blinked. "Oh, really?" She shrugged. "Very well." Her smile turned wicked and she leapt at him, clawing at his face.

Dionysus was surrounded by centaurs. "So this is how it is, huh?" he mused. "And I thought we were friends." The centaurs pawed the ground. "Not that much, god." Dionysus sighed. "Well, let it be known that I never wanted to do this." His hands twitched up and the centaurs snorted in alarm as thick vines wrapped around their hooves, anchoring them to the ground. The god advanced, a knife glimmering in his hand. "This is a sad turn of events, I hope you'll forgive me," he said mildly as he slit their throats.

Hera stared at the Muses. "Nine against one is hardly a fair fight," she remarked calmly. They frowned at her. "What's wrong, queen? Don't think you can take us 'feeble' Muses?" She smiled. "Even in anger, your voices sound beautiful. It's a shame they'll have to be silenced." She thrust her staff forward, scattering the Muses before they regrouped and pressed closer. "The Muses will win, the queen will fall," they sang, "Olympus will be gone, we will stand tall."

Apollo's chariot raced across the sky. The god had his bow aimed at Hemera. "I'm not afraid to hit a girl," he shouted, and let the arrow fly. It embedded in the goddess' arm and she screamed, turning away from Zephyrus to pursue the sun god. "You'll regret that, Apollo!" He grinned at her, showing all his teeth. "Will I? Because I sure as hell don't right now." He bent over his horses, urging them forward.

"What are you playing at?" Zeus growled. Hypnos grinned. "Oh, I'd say being king." Lightning flashed and Hypnos yelped. "Ah," he ground out, clutching his arm and dancing away from Zeus' reach. "Good aim." Zeus stalked forward, wielding another bolt. "You don't have what it takes to be king." Hypnos drove his blazing torch forward. "My actions prove your words wrong." He gestured at Olympus, ducking before Zeus could hit him again. "You think this is being a king?" Zeus roared. "This isn't being a king. This is manipulating anger to cause one thing, to fuel one battle. You think this is like keeping an entire universe of immortals in check?" Hypnos laughed. "Oh, because you did it so well, your majesty." He spun away. "You failed, Zeus," he called out. "Face it." He disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Zeus cursed before turning and throwing a bolt at another rebel.

Olympus rocked with battle. Heated cries could be heard from every corner. Deafening crashes boomed as immortals were thrown into buildings and temples. Fires erupted and were just as quickly doused by waves of water or gusts of wind. Ice crept up the sides of walls and melted in the next moment. The paradise that had been Olympus was being destroyed by its very inhabitants. The battle raged on.

On Earth, the mortals were in a frenzy. News channels were reporting tsunamis in Japan, heat waves in Saudi Arabia, freak thunderstorms in America. Earthquakes rocked the ground without warning, night turned to day and day to night in less than an hour. Spiritualists raved about the Rapture, scientists about total molecular annihilation, but everyone agreed on one thing: this could only be the beginning of the Apocalypse.

To the mortals, it was the end of the world. To the gods, it was the bloodiest war they had ever fought. And to both, there was no end in sight.

My oh my, what is happening? It seems pretty even right now, but you never know which way the battle will swing. Someone's got to win eventually. Which side will it be?

This was actually the first action sequence I've ever done and I promise the only time I will ask for feedback. Was it any good, or should I stay away from action?